Companionship
by Apollo77
Summary: Team Rocket has gotten hold of powerful weapons that amplify a Pokémon's power, but hurt the Pokémon. Can they be stopped before they take over the world? Can Ash and friends prove that Pokémon are more than just weapons for battle? Centers on Cilan. Rated T for character death, language, and some mild romance.
1. 1: An Almost Average Day

**Hey everyone! Thanks for checking this story out! Please review so I know what people think of it, and maybe I can add some suggestions! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1- An Almost Average Day**

The wind whistled in the branches of the tall oak trees outside as Cilan swept the Striaton City gym floor. He sighed, wishing Chili or Cress would for once do it instead. Whenever Cilan asked Chili to do it, he merely answered, "I did it last time, don't bother me!" Cress would say something like, "Sorry brother, I have some business to attend to." He continued to sweep until all of a sudden, a news report came on the TV. Cilan stopped and listened intently, eager to hear what was going on in his home region of Unova.

A TV reporter was standing outside the colossal structure that was known only as the Pokemon League. With her was Ash, the current champion for 9 years straight. He was also the youngest person to have ever become champion, accomplishing this feat and the tender age of 10. To Cilan, it felt like it was just yesterday when he, Iris, and Ash traveled the Unova region. His thoughts then drifted to Iris. He remembered when he was in love with her, when he would do anything for her. Nothing lasts forever though, and they broke up about a year ago, remaining just friends. That didn't help the fangirl situation in the gym, but they both felt it was for the best.

"And that was our special report with Ash Ketchum, our reigning champion!" the reporter announced. Cilan blinked. Did he really just miss the entire interview? He had always been the type to become lost in thought easily, but even he was surprised at this.  
"Hey, bro! Why isn't this place clean yet?" Chili asked from out of nowhere, meriting a jump from Cilan.  
"I, um, was watching a news report on Ash," Cilan answered, a bit shaken up by his brother's brashness.  
"Well this place has to get clean bro!" Chili scolded.  
"Why don't you help, then?" Cilan countered.  
"I, uh..." Chili looked at his wrist, then realized he didn't have a watch. "Oh, look at the time! I really must be going..." Chili bolted out of the gym.

Cilan leaned against the wall, exhausted from having just finished sweeping the gym floor and doing several other chores. (Cress helped with a few, but Chili was still nowhere to be found.) He looked at his watch and gasped. "Gah! I've got to go; I'm going to be late!"  
"What's the hurry, brother?" Cress asked curiously.  
"I'm meeting Iris for dinner in Opelucid City," Cilan told him."  
"What, you two are making up now?" Chili asked jokingly, mysteriously reappearing now that chores were done.  
"Friends can have dinner together, brother," Cress informed, not getting the joke.  
"Ugh, you're no fun, bro," Chili pouted, shaking his head.  
"Whatever, I'll see you later," Cilan said over his shoulder as he walked out of the gym. It was unseasonably cold that day, which Cilan noticed right away as he shivered his way toward Opelucid City. It was quite a long walk, so he had plenty of time to think over troubling issues on his mind. The wind had also picked up speed, making the oak branches of Striaton City rustle incessantly. It also made Cilan shiver even more. Nonetheless, he continued his walk.

By the time Cilan reached Opelucid City, he was already a half an hour late. He reached the gym and knocked on the door. Iris opened it immediately. She had a very angry look on her face; Cilan knew she didn't like it when he was late.  
"And just _where_ were you?" Iris asked, irritated.  
"I'm so sorry, Iris, my brothers made me do all of the gym's cleaning," Cilan apologized.  
"Alright, then, where do you want to go to dinner?" Iris said, much calmer now.  
"You pick,"  
"Ok! Umm... Let's see..."  
Iris was about to answer when an explosion suddenly sounded. It seemed as if it were far away, but it still drew Cilan's and Iris's attention.  
"What was that?" they gasped in unison, whipping their heads around to where the sound of the explosion came from. A large cloud of black smoke billowed from the direction of the Pokemon League. Cilan and Iris stared at the smoke for a second, then quickly turned to face each other.  
"Ash!"


	2. 2: Up in Flames

**Chapter 2- Up in Flames**

**Reviews:**

Spiral Breeze: Thanks Spiral! Hope you like this next chapter, it should keep you hooked!

Amulet Misty: I wanted to write this with the characters a bit more mature, so I set it 9 years after Ash's Pokemon League victory. As for Ash, well he's okay for now...

Ash- What the hell is that supposed to mean?

It means that you stay alive for however long I want you to. Yelling at me doesn't exactly help your chances... I should also mention that Ash has quite the mouth on him... Well that's all for reviews, on with the story!

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Cilan and Iris bolted toward the Pokémon League, but stopped when they came to Victory Road. They could more clearly see the smoke coming from the Pokémon League, but they still had a long way to go.  
"C'mon!" Iris urged. "We've got to find the fastest way possible to get through here!" As they were about to enter the cave, though, they saw a lone figure at the top of Victory Road running towards the slope to the bottom. Behind him were several others, who appeared to be giving chase. He came closer, and Cilan could make out the Pikachu on his shoulder. He could also make out the strange looking guns that were wielded by the figure's pursuers. He reached the slope and slid down.  
"Cilan? Iris? What the hell are you two doing here?"

"Ash!" They exclaimed in unison and ran over to him. He had gotten about as tall as Cilan, who towered over Iris. He was out of breath from running from the unknown group.  
"What's going on, Ash?" Iris asked, looking and sounding very much like a little kid compared to Ash and Cilan. Having taken over the gym when Drayden retired, she was currently the youngest gym leader in all five regions. That didn't mean she wasn't a good trainer though, for very few trainers were able to win against her lately. Drayden was still around though, but not often.  
"It's Team Rocket!" Ash responded, panting heavily. "They're after me! They've-" He had no time to finish. The Team Rocket assailants came sliding down.  
"Freeze, Ketchum!" one of the grunts yelled.  
"Back off, you bastards!" Ash spat back. "You'll never get my Pikachu! Pikachu, Thunderbolt, now!" Pikachu cheeks fizzled with electricity.  
"Pika...chu!" Pikachu launched its bolt of lightning toward the Team Rocket Grunts. The grunts were blasted off their feet and sent skyward.  
"This isn't over Ketchum! You can't escape us!" they shouted as they blasted off.  
"That was close..." Ash muttered.  
"So just what's up here?" Cilan said raising an eyebrow.  
"It's a long story, but here goes..."

"What?" Cilan and Iris were incredibly confused at Ash's explanation.  
"It's all true," Ash affirmed. "Team Rocket has these new weapons that fire Pokémons' powers with greater force. They put Poke Balls into the ammo compartment, then fire. They're trying to take over with them! Even worse, they're stealing everyone's Poke Balls to fuel the guns! Look," he gestured to his belt. "They took all of mine..."  
"Oh my God..." Iris gasped. "But you still have Pikachu because it's not in a Poke Ball, right?"  
"Yeah, I keep it in a chest at my house in Pallet Town."  
"You should probably get it before someone else can take it," Cilan advised.  
"That's a good idea, but..." Ash had no time to finish. More Team Rocket Grunts ran up to them. "We have to get out of here. NOW!" The trio ran back toward Opelucid City as fast as they could to escape the grunts. When they reached the city, their jaws dropped.

"Oh my God, what happened to the city?" Iris was in tears. The city, however, was in flames. Buildings were set on fire by Rocket Grunts with the same weird guns. "How could they do this?" Iris fought back sobs and tried to remain focused.  
"They must have fire-types in there," Ash observed. "That's how they're doing this." Grunts could be seen running out of buildings with Poke Balls in their hands, then lighting buildings on fire with their weapons. "This makes me sick..."  
"We have to do something, c'mon!" Cilan coaxed to grab Ash's and Iris's attention. He caught something out of the corner of his eye that was colored a dark magenta. He turned toward it and gawked. "It's her..."  
"Hello, everyone! It's been a while, but Team Rocket has finally returned! Submit to us now, or watch your precious city burn to ashes! Hahahahahaha!" The voice and laugh were unmistakable. It was Jessie of Team Rocket.

Jessie had quite powerful presence, for even some of the Team Rocket Grunts were shaking in their boots. Her familiar scythe-like magenta hairstyle was just as attention-grabbing as always. She had several of the grunts' weapons strapped across her back, along with one in her left hand. Her other hand held a microphone that projected her shrill voice to the entire city. She looked around at the citizens, waiting for an answer. Then she noticed Ash, Cilan, and Iris. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Ash and the Unova brats! I see you've come to save the day, like always, you do-gooders." She spat out the word "do-gooders" as if it were pure venom.  
"Jessie!" Ash shouted. "You won't get away with this!"  
"I won't? I don't think you should be telling me what I can and can't do when I have this!" She raised her weapon and fired a blast of acid toward Ash. She wasn't intending to kill him though, only ward him off.  
"Whoa!" Ash cried as he dove to the left and avoided the blast. "We'll stop you Jessie, just like we always have!"  
"But, you see Ash, I have the upper hand this time! And if you insist on trying to stop me, I guess I'll just have to put you in your place. Grunts, fire at the gym!"

"Noooo!" Iris cried in anguish. "Drayden is in there! You can't kill him, please!" Tears welled up in her eyes. "Please..."  
"So sorry dear, but I think it's time I taught you a lesson," Jessie sneered with fake sympathy. "Fire!" The grunts took aim and pulled their triggers, releasing flames onto the gym.  
"Drayden!" Iris cried again. And before Cilan or Ash or anyone could stop her, she charged into the burning building.  
"Iris!" Cilan shouted. "Ash, we've got to help her!"  
"We have to, but how?" Ash asked. "Neither of us have any Water, Ground, or Rock types to help put this out."  
"Well I'm going in," Cilan decided. "Can you distract her?"  
"I'll try."  
"Alright then, here goes nothing!" With that Cilan darted after Iris in the burning building. Which left Ash all alone to come up with a distraction.  
"Hey pink-headed bitch!" he shouted angrily at Jessie. "Why don't you come down and fight me yourself, me and Pikachu versus you and your piece of shit scrap metal!" Ash ran away from the building and towards the exit to the route leading to Icirrus City. "Or are you scared your machine will fail just like all of Meowth's other contraptions?"  
"Oh, it is so on, you self-absorbed little brat!" Jessie took aim and fired at Ash, but Ash dove to the side and once again narrowly avoided what would have caused certain peril.  
"Missed!" Ash taunted childishly.  
"Grr... You're so dead!"

The smoke in the building stung Cilan's eyes, but he knew he had to keep moving. He trudged through the rubble in the burning building as he frantically searched for Iris and Drayden. A wooden beam crashed to the floor behind him, reminding him that he needed to move quickly. His vision was blurred from the smoke and tears in his eyes, but he still stumbled his way through the gym.  
"Iris!" Cilan shouted, his voice a bit hoarse.  
"Cilan!" Iris shouted back. "Come here, quick!" Cilan navigated with reinforced speed now, desperate to find her. At last he caught a glimpse of her poofy black hair, and he made his way over to her.  
"Iris, thank God you're okay..."  
"Oh, Cilan, I'm fine, but Drayden..." Cilan took one glance at Drayden and cringed. His face was charred with fire, his clothes blackened. His breathing was slow and strained; he was struggling to cope with the pain.  
"Leave me here, Iris," Drayden wheezed. "You have to save yourself!"  
"I can't let you die here!" Iris wailed.  
"Drayden, we're getting you out of here, no matter what," Cilan said confidently, his eyes full of determination. (And smoke.) Another flaming beam came plummeting to the ground, spurring Cilan into action. He picked up Drayden and slowly moved toward a visible hole in the building. He could make it out and save him. He could! Cilan finally reached the hole, but tripped on a pile of rubble in the ground. He fell forward and dropped Drayden, but Iris managed to catch him and lay him safely down on the ground. Cilan quickly scrambled to his feet and ran out of the gym, just before the roof collapsed on the spot where he had just stood.  
"That was close."

Meanwhile, Ash was having a great time messing with Jessie. He continually danced out of the way of every single one of her shots and watched as her already irritated expression grew more and more furious.  
"I hate you, you annoying mother..." Jessie cursed as she fired yet again at the nimble Ash and his Pikachu. Ash somersaulted to the side and blew a raspberry at Jessie. "Augh! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" She screamed. She fired repeatedly out of pure frustration. Ash repeatedly fired back with taunts.  
"Aww, is Jessie not good at using her little toy?"  
"Maybe taking over the world with THOSE isn't the greatest idea."  
"You can't hit the far side of a burning building with that thing!"  
Ash was starting to get tired though. He could only hope that Cilan and Iris had enough time to save Drayden.

Iris was in tears. Not only had the grunts taken all of her Poke Balls, (except for Axew, who was with her at the time) but her mentor Drayden might be dead in front of her. She sniffed to hold tears back, but they still streamed down her face like a waterfall.  
"Is he breathing?" Cilan asked, leaning over Drayden to get a better look.  
"I think so," Iris replied. "But he won't even open his eyes..." As if on cue, Drayden's eyes fluttered open slowly, and they darted around to see where he was. He saw Iris and relaxed. Iris's heart jumped out of her chest.  
"Iris... You saved me..."  
"I told you I would, Master Drayden."  
"You're a good trainer, Iris. I fear I still won't survive though..."  
"You have to Master Drayden! You must hold on, please!" Their eyes met and they stared at each other for a few seconds, but Cilan knew he had to get them moving if Drayden were to survive.  
"Hate to ruin this moment, but we have to go," he urged. "Now."  
"C'mon Master Drayden, we can get you to a hospital in time!" Iris encouraged. Cilan picked up the elderly dragon master and ran toward the western exit of the city. Unfortunately, this was where Ash and Jessie were having their showdown. Jessie caught Cilan out the corner of her eye.  
"Oh, there you are!" she crooned. "I though for sure you would've burnt to a crisp, between your plant head, his old ass, and her giant mass of hair!"  
"Look who's talking, you witch!" Iris retaliated.  
"Calm down Iris," Cilan warned. "We have to get out of here in one piece."  
"We shouldn't have a problem escaping since Jessie sucks at aiming," Ash joked. His face then turned serious. "Now let's go!" He helped Cilan carry Drayden as they sprinted toward the western city exit.  
"Oh, over so soon?" Jessie sarcastically sulked. "I thought you were having fun, Ash." She fired a few more times with her gun and came much closer to hitting then now that the weight of Drayden slowed them down. Thankfully, she still could not snipe her slowly moving targets. Iris led them to the exit gate where the roof shielded them from what would have been a fatal strike. Cilan panted as he set down Drayden and leaned against the wall.  
"That was close..."


	3. 3: No Time to Waste

**Reviews**

Spiral Breeze: Thanks Spiral! There will defnitely be more excitement (and Ash's cursing) to come!

Amulet Misty: Team Rocket is no laughing matter in this one!

Ash: A big change from when they were just the damn comic relief...

Iris: HOW COULD YOU LET THEM DO THIS TO DRAYDEN?

Because I can, Iris, because I can. Drayden is saved from the wrath of Jessie, but he's not safe just yet.

Ash: I want to kill that bitch so much...

Well, you can't, she has a gun. Anyway, back to the story!

(Oh, I almost forgot, I haven't put in a disclaimer for the first two chapters! Well, here it is now.)

**I do not own Pokemon in any way shape or form, other than the various game discs, cartriges, cards, etc. lying around my house.**

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**Chapter 3- No Time to Waste**

"I see we have quite the damn situation on our hands," Ash said as they caught their breath in the city gate. "Team Rocket has already taken over Opelucid City and is without a doubt going to keep moving. We have to get Drayden to safety A.S.A.P. so we can move faster." He glanced at Drayden, who was only half-awake. "No offense old man, but you're a bit of dead weight here."  
"None...taken..." Drayden strained to say.  
"Master Drayden, you have to conserve your strength," Iris advised.  
"If we can manage to get him to Striaton City, my brothers can take him in," Cilan recommended. "Then we can get to the bottom of this." He looked around for approval, but found none. "It's our only option at this point," he added for emphasis.  
"Alright then, Striaton it is," Ash agreed. "I just hope we can get there without running into more trouble." They started for Icirrus City, where they hopefully could take a rest. Thankfully they did not have to traverse any caves or mountains to get there, they simply needed to cross the Tubeline Bridge and a few other short routes. They quickly headed through the small stretch of land known as Route 9, then entered the gate for Tubeline Bridge.

Even though they were in a hurry, Cilan still managed to admire the magnificent architecture of the bridge, for its large size made it impossible to cross quickly. He felt vibrations underneath his feet; he looked and saw the rushing trains go by. And this was only one of the five bridges in the Unova region. Every region had its quirk, and Unova's was bridges. Kanto named all of their cities after colors, Johto named theirs after flowers, Hoenn was basically a giant ocean, and Sinnoh was home to mountains and cold weather. Cilan always wished he could travel to other regions and take in the breathtaking sights of them.  
"C'mon Cilan, wake up, will ya?" Ash cajoled as Iris waved a hand in his face. "We're in a fricking hurry, remember? There's no time to waste!"  
"Oh, um, sorry..." Okay, maybe he could have been going a little faster. They quickened their pace and soon reached the end of the bridge. Saying a little goodbye to the bridge in his head, Cilan walked along, carrying Drayden with Ash, Iris following close behind.

"Ughh!" Iris groaned. "We have to go through this?" The group realized a little too late that right on the other side of Tubeline Bridge was Route 8, and Route 8 at this time of year was swamped with marshland.  
"Yes, but would you rather go through the hellhole of Black City?" Ash replied. Black City was filled with criminals and thieves and had the worst reputation possible. You were lucky to pass through without being robbed at least twice.  
"Yes, if it meant I could go see Undella Bay!" Iris said, excited by just thinking about it.  
"Hello?" Cilan interrupted to snap them out of it. "We're in a hurry, remember?"  
"Oh..." Ash and Iris said simultaneously. "Right." They stepped into the mud and sunk knee-deep in it. Every slow, deliberate step made a horrid squelching noise. They waded thought the marsh at a snail's pace, very disappointed with their minimal progress. 512 squelches later, they finally reached Icirrus City, their shoes and pants soaked with mud. They stopped at a Pokémon Center to heal their Pokémon.  
"I can't believe this is happening," Iris sulked. "They took all of my Pokémon! And they're not stopping here! They're going to ravage every city, steal everyone's Pokémon, and we can't stop it!"  
"Yes we can," Cilan assured. "We'll get your Pokémon back soon and we'll stop Team Rocket's advance."  
"He's right, Iris," Ash added. "We just need a bit of help. We can ask all the gym leaders to come together and unite in the region's defense!" All of a sudden the TV in the Pokémon Center became quite loud.  
"Shh..." Nurse Joy whispered. There's a special report!" The entire room was silent as they all listened to the TV.

"This is breaking news!" The reporter exclaimed. "Team Rocket has returned! I'm here from Opelucid City, where Team Rocket has unveiled their new weaponry that can destroy a whole town! Just look at the flames behind me and you will see!" The flames had grown larger than before, as seen behind the reporter. Also behind her, however, was Jessie. Jessie used her weapon and killed the reporter, then took her microphone.  
"You! Behind the camera!" She ordered. "Keep that thing rolling or you're next! Hahahahahaha! This is an official message to the Unova region from Team Rocket! You can see here what we're capable of just by looking at this pathetic pile of burning rubble behind me..."  
"No we can't," Ash muttered. "Your stupid hair is in the way, you bitch..."  
"Shhh!" everyone else replied.  
"...and now that this is taken care of, guess what we're doing next! That's right, I'm personally coming to every city to make a special visit! So I hope you'll welcome me with open arms, or else..." Jessie gestured to the city behind her. "Your precious city will look like this! Ciao!" She fired her weapon and destroyed the camera. The cameraman cowered in fear. "Oh, just get out of my sight! You disgust me..."

"What?" was everyone's reaction to this "special news report". They simply sat there, speechless. Cilan was the first to break the silence.  
"C'mon, guys!" He urged. "We have to hurry! They'll be coming here next!" He got up and ran toward the gym, Iris and Ash close behind. He then remembered that to get to Brycen, they would have to go through an ice maze. "Iris, do you have his Xtransceiver number?" He asked, hoping to save some time.  
"Yeah, he's the closest gym leader to me," Iris responded. "Let me call him." She tapped her Xtransceiver a few times and waited.  
"Hello? Iris?" A hoarse old voice sounded.  
"Brycen! Please come out of your gym, quickly!"  
"Alright, I'll be right out." About a minute later, Brycen emerged from the cave entrance to his gym. While he was a bit older than Drayden, he still felt he was in his prime, so he still managed the gym. He noticed Drayden and a look of worry took over his face. "Iris! What's going on here? And Ash and Cilan, you're here too?"  
"Haven't you seen the news?" Ash asked. "Team Rocket burned down Opelucid City, and they're headed here next!"  
"Oh my God, this is bad!" Brycen exclaimed. "What can I do to put those villains in their place?"  
"We're trying to gather all the gym leaders together," Cilan explained. "We need you to come with us to Striaton City! We're going to rally everyone there to repel Team Rocket! They won't harm cities where there's no resistance, so Icirrus City won't be harmed. C'mon, we have no time to waste!"  
"Alright, whippersnappers, I'm with you!" Brycen agreed.  
"Great!" Ash said. "Now let's keep going!"

"So our next stop is Mistaltron City, right?" Brycen asked as they ran out of Icirrus City and into Twist Mountain.  
"Yep," Ash affirmed. "I just wish we could get there faster. At this rate Team Rocket will catch up with us in no time."  
"That's where I come in," Brycen said eagerly. "I know the fastest way through this mountain. I can get through in half the time as some ordinary greenhorn."  
"Perfect," Cilan cheered. "Lead the way!" Brycen led them into the mountain, and Cilan could immediately see how someone could get lost in it. Several pathways branched off from where they were in many places, but Brycen always seemed to know exactly where he was going. He deftly turned this way and that in a rather confusing pattern. As soon as Iris was about to get ridiculously dizzy, they arrived at the center of the mountain.  
"See? We're already halfway there!" Brycen bragged. "Am I good or am I good?"  
"I can't decide between the two," Ash joked. "Now let's keep moving!" Brycen continued to lead them on their trek through the mountain.  
"This way, that way, cut through here..." Brycen muttered as he quickly picked each path to take. It simply amazed Cilan how he did it. With his expertise, they'd be out of here in no time.

"And here we are!" Brycen announced. "That wasn't so bad, now was it? Ho Ho Ho, I could do this in my sleep!"  
"55 minutes," Iris told him. "I really can't believe it!"  
"That's incredible," Ash commented, shaking his head. "You've got a real talent, old man."  
"Oh, boy, back in my day EVERYONE could do it that fast," Brycen laughed. "Drayden could've, right Drayden?" Drayden gave a slight nod. "Clay and Lenora of course can too," Brycen continued. "It's you young folk I'm worried about. Of course Skyla could just fly over it, but Elesa, she'd be lost in a second. And don't get me started on Burgh. He-"  
"Wait a minute..." Cilan interrupted. "Did you just say Skyla could fly over it?"  
"Yes, after all she is "The High-Flying Girl". Ho, what a nickname that is!"  
"Maybe she could fly us from city to city so we could save some time!" Cilan suggested eagerly.  
"That's a great idea, Cilan!" Iris exclaimed. "We could get everyone together in half the time!"  
"Just half?" Ash said in disbelief. "We could save days with this!"  
"Let's hope everything's okay in Mistaltron City then!" Cilan said, a spark of optimism growing in his heart. He ran out of Twist Mountain and onto Route 7, everyone else following behind, imbued with a newfound energy from their hope.


	4. 4: Different Perspectives

**Reviews**

Spiral Breeze- Thanks Spiral! Unfortunately, this chapter is one of those "Meanwile..." ones, it gives a bit of insight as to what certain other individuals are doing. So no major excitement til next chapter. =(

Amulet Misty- Yes, a plan is usually a nice thing to have. But they'll need more than that...

Cilan- We're screwed, aren't we?

Yep, pretty much. But, this chapter isn't about you, so I get to prolong the suspense! Now, back to the story!

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokemon. Like it would change from 5 days ago when I uploaded the last chapter.**

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**Chapter 4- Different Perspectives**

Jessie couldn't believe how well things we're going for her right now. She had burned down a whole city, had stolen tons of Pokémon, and best of all, finally had made Ash run from her! She couldn't help but smile at her success.  
"See what happens when I'm not stuck with incompetent idiots?" She asked herself quietly. When she was working with James and Meowth, they had always found some way to mess things up. Now, with her new independence, she could finally show Giovanni how great she was! He would give her a bit more respect from now on, at least enough to be able to boss around some more people. She was ecstatic at the mere thought of bossing around people like those bastards Butch and Cassidy. They thought they were so much better than her? Ha, not anymore, assholes! She headed back to the Pokémon League, where Giovanni would have more than likely set up his new headquarters by now. She could hear nothing but the hollow tap of her shoes as she walked on the path to Giovanni's quarters. She finally reached the door and knocked lightly.

"Come in!" A deep voice boomed. Jessie opened the door and knelt.  
"Jessie, reporting mission results, sir," she stated. No matter what, she would still have to be respectful to him. He was the boss of Team Rocket, she would never surpass him.  
"Ah, Jessie," Giovanni said soothingly. "I assume everything went well?" He was sitting in his captain's chair, which he considered a throne. His arms were propped up on the armrest, and his head rested on his right arm, which was bent upward to hold up his head.  
"Of course, sir. We've taken every possible Pokémon from Opelucid City, save for one, the Axew of the brat, er, gym leader Iris. Ash has been chased to the west, along with Iris, Drayden, who is critically injured, and Cilan, who for some reason was in Opelucid City at this time."  
"They're all together?" Giovanni asked curiously, testing her. "That could be a problem, no?"  
"Not at all," Jessie replied with confidence. "Let's look at this from  
a different perspective. They're going to Striaton City by taking the long road. They have to go through Twist Mountain and Chargestone Cave just to get to Nimbasa City. All I need to do is go the other way around. No one will resist in Village Bridge, Lacunosa Town, or Undella Bay. And I can just as easily kill every fool in Black City who dares defy me. I'll be in Nimbasa in no time."  
"Perfect. Glad to see you have a plan. Now let's put it into action as soon as possible, got it?"  
"Yes, sir."  
"Great, Jessie. Glad I can count on you." Giovanni paused, and Jessie started to walk out as she normally did when her boss stopped talking. But Giovanni called her back this time. "Hey Jessie?"  
"Yes, sir?"  
"You're starting to do some good work around here. I don't know if it's because of the new weapons, if it's because you're working alone, or something else entirely, but you seem a lot different from when you used to be working with that retard and that talking cat. I'm proud of you, Jessie. It's nice to see you from a...different perspective." He smiled at this use of her own words. "Now go, and let's assert Team Rocket's dominance!"  
"Thank you, sir," Jessie said, barely able to contain her excitement as she left the room.

"Oh my God!" Jessie squealed as soon as she walked out of Giovanni's headquarters. "He actually said I'm doing a good job!" Jessie couldn't even remember the last time he complimented her. If there was a last time. She was so used to failure that she had simply become accustomed to it; it barely even bothered her anymore. But now here she was, with the help of some better weaponry, more successful than ever. She really couldn't believe how much things had changed. Tears of joy streamed down her face as she replayed the moment over and over in her head. "I'm not a failure. I'm the best member of Team Rocket!" Then she realized something: she had to make sure it stayed that way. She regained her composure and headed out of the Pokémon League. She slid down the slope of Victory Road and broke into a run as she entered the pile of ashes known as Opelucid City. Yes, she would make it stay that way for sure...

Giovanni leaned back in his chair and relaxed. Everything was going according to plan here in Unova. Jessie couldn't have been doing a better job coordinating the assault. He just hoped the others were doing as good of a job as Jessie was...


	5. 5: Be Careful What You Wish For

**Reviews:**

Spiral Breeze- Thanks Spiral, it felt necessary to write a bit of Jessie's view. More will definitely come!

Amulet Misty- It is all too essential, isn't it?

Jessie: Damn right it's essential!

Yeah yeah, we get it, you have an opinion, big whoop.

Quilava Flare- I did want to write this VERY fast-paced, especially this next chapter. Details are good in moderation to me. As for humor, well that's a totally different story. You know that, you use it a lot in your story too!

Thank you for all the great reviews everyone, now on to the story!

* * *

**Chapter 5- Be Careful What You Wish For**

"Whoa...WHOA!" Cilan lost his balance and fell off the wooden beam into the tall grass below. Hearing the howling laughter of Brycen and Ash, he quickly scrambled to his feet and dusted himself off. "Yeah, that was fricking hilarious, wasn't it?" Cilan glowered.  
"It kinda was, man," Ash laughed.  
"C'mon, boy, you can't be falling off these things the whole way to Mistaltron, can you now?" Brycen chuckled.  
"Alright, that's enough," Iris playfully admonished. "We're in a hurry, remember?" She looked at Drayden and her expression became stoic. "It'll be alright Master Drayden, I promise..."  
"I really hate these things..." Cilan grumbled as he climbed back on the balance beam and struggled to stay atop it. No one had any idea why they were even there in the first place, but there they were, taunting everyone who passed by to try their skill at balance for the reward of not having to go through the tall grass. Despite Cilan's obvious balance problems, he, Ash, and Brycen managed to carry Drayden and overcome the dastardly wooden obstacle. They reached Celestial Tower, and they knelt down beside it to say a solemn prayer of reverence to the dead. After a quite long moment of silence, they got up and resumed their journey.

Two more balance beams and two more falls by Cilan later, the group finally made it to Mistaltron City. Not wanting to go through a maze of cannons to find Skyla, Brycen dialed her up on the Xtransceiver.  
"Hey, Skyla! Come out of your gym right now, we gave a real problem on our hands!" The group heard a bit of static, then a reply.  
"Brycen?" Skyla said groggily as if she just woke up. "Hold on, I just woke up..."  
"Skyla, this is urgent, please," Iris cut in.  
"Iris? You're here too? Oh boy, this better be good..." After about fifteen minutes of anxious waiting by the group, the gym doors slid open and Skyla finally appeared in the entrance. "Brycen, Ash, Cilan, Iris," Her eyes then saw Drayden and immediately were filled with worry. "Oh my God, what happened?"  
"It's Team Rocket," Ash explained. He explained their whole calamity in great detail. Skyla's eyes grew wider and wider after each word.  
"That can't be true!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "How could they do that?"  
"Look," Ash told her, gesturing to his belt. "They took my Pokémon."  
"Oh... My... God..." Skyla gasped. "This is horrible! What do we do?"  
"We're trying to gather all of the gym leaders together," Cilan explained again. He realized that he would have to do this quite often. "We especially need your help because your Pokémon can fly us from city to city faster than simply walking."  
"Well that's for sure," Skyla agreed. "Everyone out!" She tossed three Poké Balls into the air, and Swoobat, Unfezant, and Swanna appeared, stretching their wings. "Alright guys, get ready to soar!"

Cilan felt the wind rush past him as he sat behind Ash on the back of Skyla's Unfezant. Ash insisted that he take Unfezant since he owned one himself. At least he had, before Team Rocket stole it and everything else. Skyla had taken her Swanna with Iris and Drayden, while Brycen rode Swoobat. It was quite hard to fly on that thing, but he somehow managed. It was incredible to Cilan how fast they flew, yet with such precision in their movements. The gentle flapping of a bird's wings somehow managed to carry it so far.  
"Cilan, you retard, wake up! We're here!" Cilan was jarred from his thoughts as Ash shouted in his ear again. He really had to pay attention more. They were now in Driftveil City, home to the Ground gym leader Clay.  
"I'll call him up," Skyla offered. She tapped her Xtransceiver a few times and waited.  
"Mrrrmph? Skyla? What do ya want, girl?" Clay answered in his usual gruff manner.  
"Clay, you have to come out here, quickly! This is urgent!" Brycen said, knowing Clay would be most likely to listen to him.  
"Mrrrmph? Brycen? Yer here too? This must be bad, I'll see ya in a few minutes," After what seemed like an hour waiting for Clay, he finally exited the gym and approached the group. "Well, what're all of ya here for?" He then noticed Drayden. "Well I'll be damned, we've got ourselves a situation here! Explain everything, now!" Ash explained once again, but Clay didn't seem at all surprised. In fact, his facial expression remained the same throughout the entire explanation. "So that's what them Team Rockets are doin'... Ya said yer headed ta Striaton? Well, I guess I got to help ya out here. Now let's git on outta here!"

With there being only Driftveil Drawbridge and another short route between Driftveil City and Nimbasa City, they decided to simply walk to Nimbasa. Oh, and they also couldn't really fly since there was no Pokémon for Clay to fly on. It was hard enough squeezing six people on three Flying Pokémon. But seven? Forget it. They jogged across the grand Driftveil Bridge, and Cilan couldn't help but marvel at its brilliance. After all, it was huge! He managed to snap himself out of this trance before Ash could yell at him again though. They quickly traversed Route 5 and entered the gate to Nimbasa. Colorful neon lights decorated every corner of the lively city. Screams of excitement could be heard from the amusement park, which had greatly increased in size since Cilan had last visited. To avoid having to ride the roller coaster to get to Elesa, Clay tapped his Xtransceiver a few times to call her.  
"Elesa here. What's up?" Elesa asked coolly.  
"Girl, ya gotta come out here right now," Clay said bluntly.  
"On it," Elesa replied. It baffled Cilan how Clay and Elesa could have a conversation with such few, direct words. Unlike Skyla and Clay, Elesa was out of her gym and walking up to the others within two minutes. "What's the issue?"  
"Team Rocket," Iris started to explain. "they've-"  
"I've heard the news," Elesa cut her off. "I know exactly what's going on here. Burgh, Lenora and I decided to ambush them in Castelia City. I was just waiting for you guys to get here so I could tell you. Now let's go, before we waste any more time. They're already there."  
"Now hold up a second," Ash argued. "We were going to all meet up in Striaton City so Chili and Cress could take care of Drayden."  
"No can do," Elesa replied. "Chili and Cress are in Castelia as well. There's tons of tall buildings we can hide Drayden in, and there's a backup plan if absolutely necessary. Castelia is our capital, we can't afford it to be lost."  
"What's the backup plan?" Cilan asked inquisitively.  
"That will only be discussed if we need it," Elesa answered. "Now, are you coming or not?"  
"Do we have a fricking choice?" Ash muttered.  
"No," Elesa replied without hesitation. "Now get moving." She pushed past them and walked toward the south gate of Nimbasa.

"Should we follow her?" Skyla asked.  
"Mrrrmph, she seems ta know what she's doin'," Clay observed. "I say we go with her."  
"Hell no!" Ash argued. "Did you not just witness how she just treated us all like total shit? When did she become such a bitch? I-"  
"Did someone say bitch?"  
The group spun around to the source of the voice and was mortified to see Jessie walking toward them, followed by a brigade of Rocket grunts. "Hahahahahaha!" Jessie laughed. "You called, Ash? I really am surprised you made it here before I did. Too bad that triumph's not going to last long." She took the gun from her back and pointed directly at Ash. "Say goodbye, twerp."  
"Goodbye, twerp," Ash mimicked. "Pikachu, Iron Tail on the ground!" Jessie fired without hesitation, but Ash had already dropped to the ground. The blast of poison just missed Brycen, who instinctively rolled away. Pikachu slammed its metallic tail on the ground, sending a cloud of dust into the air. "Run for it, now!" Ash shouted. He bolted to the south gate, his friends close behind him.  
"You son of a bitch!" Jessie snarled. "I'm going to kill you!" She followed in hot pursuit. They entered Route 4, the sandy route adjacent to Desert Resort. Cilan's feet struggled to get steady footing in the shifting desert sand. How anyone could call this a resort, he'd never know. Sand being whipped in his face by the wind was not exactly his idea of relaxing. Thankfully, it wasn't too far of a distance from Nimbasa City to Castelia City, but constant giant acid balls from Jessie's weapon weren't really helping make this any easier. Zigzagging through the sand in paths as random as a fly's flight path, no one was hit by the acid balks. Of course, Jessie's horrible aim helped too. They finally reached the gate to Castelia, narrowly escaping almost certain peril.  
"That was close..." Cilan panted.

"Freeze! Put your hands up or prepare to be assaulted!"  
Everyone threw their hands up, cowering in the face of the menacing voice. Everyone but Cilan, who recognized it immediately.  
"Lenora?" He asked, already knowing the answer.  
"Who wants to know?" she shot back.  
"Lenora, it's me, Cilan!" he shouted.  
"Cilan?" Cress called down from above. Turning toward the voice everyone noticed Cress's head protruding from an open window on one of the skyscrapers. "Brother, we're all up in the skyscrapers!" Burgh and Elesa stuck their heads out windows in the same building, while Lenora and Chili appeared in the windows of another skyscraper across the street.  
"Good, you're here," Elesa said. "Now someone come up in Lenora's building, and bring Drayden."  
"Mrrrmph, I'll carry him up," Clay volunteered. He hefted Drayden over his shoulder and walked into the building.  
"Perfect," Elesa said. "Now the rest of you, stay down there as a lure, and we'll catch Jessie in the crossfire."  
"And now you're using us as bait?" Ash fumed.  
"Shut up and do it!" Chili barked. "Do you want to get us all killed?"  
"Ash, we have to do this," Cilan reasoned. He of course didn't want to nor had the courage to, but knew it was vital to their plan.  
"Fine..." Ash grumbled. "But I swear to God, the next time you boss us around like this, all you're getting is the finger!" He flipped her off now for emphasis, then headed to his position. Within a minute, Jessie had come through the northern Castelia gate and saw Ash standing there, along with everyone else whom Jessie had just been chasing: Iris, Cilan, Brycen, and Skyla. As resolutely as they could they stood there, but Jessie could easily noticed the fear in their eyes.  
"Giving yourselves up willingly?" Jessie asked with mock sweetness. "I may only be able to put you in prison if you're not going to fight. Oh well, as long as you're out my way..."  
"Oh, we're going to fight alright," Ash grinned.  
"Freeze!" Lenora shouted. "Put your hands up or prepare to be assaulted!"  
"Oh my, it looks like you do have a plan after all," Jessie observed. "But did you really think I wouldn't have one? Grunts, assemble!"

"In position!"  
Cilan whirled around and saw all the grunts were behind them, guns at the ready. There had to be hundreds of them, able to murder them in a matter of seconds.  
"You see," Jessie continued, "I'm the one with the advantage. Now prepare to perish. Fire!" The grunts fired their weapons, and out of the barrels erupted boulders the size of a Snorlax. The gym leaders in the windows of the skyscrapers ducked back in just in time to avoid the heaping rocks. They reappeared in different windows and sent out their Pokémon, calling out attacks as soon as they could.  
"Pansear, Incinerate!" Chili roared.  
"Panpour, Water Gun!" Cress called.  
"Watchog, Retaliate!" Lenora ordered.  
"Leavanny, Razor Leaf!" Burgh shouted.  
"Zebstrika, Discharge!" Elesa commanded.  
"Excadrill, Earthquake!" Clay boomed.  
The Rocket grunts were shaken by the attacks, but Jessie would not allow them to falter.  
"Is that all you've got, you bitches?" she scolded. "Keep firing or you'll have ME to answer to!" At this, the grunts continued their assault. Caught in the middle, Cilan and the others with him sent out their Pokémon as well.  
"Pansage, Razor Leaf!" Cilan called.  
"Axew, Dragon Rage!" Iris yelled.  
"Beartic, Icicle Crash!" Brycen ordered.  
"Swanna, Wing Attack!" Skyla shouted.  
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash roared, louder than everyone else.  
The entire city seemed to shake from the force of so many attacks used with full force. The battle raged on, with projectiles from guns and Pokémon whizzing by, especially for Cilan and the other poor souls stuck in the crossfire. However, while Pokémon were prone to fatigue from battle, guns were not, and the gym leaders were finding themselves in a battle they couldn't win.  
"Hey Elesa!" Cilan shouted up at her as he narrowly dodged a boulder. "That backup plan sounds really nice right now!"  
"We can hold a bit longer!" Elesa stubbornly replied, ducking to avoid a burst of acid from Jessie's weapon.  
"No we can't," Iris wailed. "Elesa, we need a plan, please!"  
"Alright, here's what you guys can do," Elesa sighed. "This may sound far-fetched, but it's our only hope. You have to get out of here. Get to the pier and take the Royal Unova to the other regions. Gather as much support as you can and come back. We'll try to stall them as long as we can."  
"Are you sure you can hold out long enough?" Cilan asked.  
"Of course not, but we have to try," Elesa answered. "I just hope the other regions haven't been hit by this yet... As soon as you gather support in a region, bring them back here, since we'll need reinforcements as quickly as possible." She paused, and Cilan could've sworn she was holding back tears. "Good luck Cilan. We're counting on you."  
Cilan nodded. "Right. Who else is coming with us? I mean, we'll definitely need Ash since he knows the leaders of the other regions. But who else?"  
"We need as many people as we can still here with us," Elesa advised. "Take just one more person with you two, someone you can really trust."  
"Iris," Cilan said immediately.  
"Right," Iris agreed. "It'll be just like old times."  
"Alright, now move out." Elesa instructed.

Cilan proceeded to explain the plan to Ash, who was rather excited about the prospect of this adventure. Of course, it was not easy to explain this plan amidst a furious battle. Booming crashes from boulders knocking into the skyscrapers drowned out the conversation, but eventually Cilan finished his explanation.  
"We really should get going," Cilan told him. "Like, right now."  
"C'mon, Ash," Iris urged. "They're counting on us!"  
"Then let's get to it," Ash agreed. He broke into a run towards Cruise Dock, where the Royal Unova awaited. Cilan and Iris dashed to keep up. Lacking subtlety, they quickly attracted Jessie's attention.  
"And just where do you think you're going?" Jessie sneered. She darted after them, firing bursts of acid after them. They raced through Central Plaza, where Jessie destroyed the water fountain in an attempt to create an obstacle to block their path. Iris stumbled on a chunk of the fountain, but Cilan pulled her back up quickly.  
"Split up!" Ash suggested. Ash headed down Narrow Street, Cilan decided to take Mode Street, and Iris chose Castelia Street. Jessie followed Ash into the narrow alley of a street. Ash and Pikachu knocked over dumpsters to deter Jessie from catching up, but she merely blasted hem out of the way. Cilan was the first to reach Cruise Dock. He was surprised to see the woman still standing in front of the Royal Unova.  
"Elesa told me to expect you," she said. "Please, board immediately." Cilan didn't hesitate to enter the boat, but he waited by the entrance for Iris and Ash. Iris arrived first, and Cilan was astonished to see that she was holding two Casteliacones.  
"Iris!" Cilan scolded. "You stopped for ice cream?"  
"Yeah," Iris admitted sheepishly. "I never find that place open, so I jumped at the opportunity. Here, the second one's for you."  
Cilan took it, but didn't start to eat it yet. "Ash will need our help," he said. "We have to help him get on board." Soon enough, they saw Ash tearing down the dock, with Jessie right behind. Ash ran into the boat and closed the door.  
"Thank God," Ash gasped. "Guess what, bitch? You lose!"  
"You say that now," Jessie laughed. "But you forget that I can blow a hole in that boat with one shot!"  
"Shit..." Ash cursed. "Didn't think of that..."  
"Prepare to rot at the bottom of the ocean!" Jessie squealed. "Hahahahahaha!"  
"Start the boat!" Cilan shouted to the captain. "We gotta leave now!" The boat was moving slowly, just starting to accelerate. "We're not gonna make it..." Cilan said quietly. Jessie was still laughing when she pulled the trigger.  
'Click!'  
"What the hell?" Jessie shouted angrily. She pulled the trigger again and received the same click. "Aargh!" She frantically pulled the trigger several times, but by now the boat had picked up speed and escaped from the pier. "What the hell is wrong with this thing?"

Cilan exhaled a huge sigh of relief as the Unova region slowly shrank from his view while he gazed out the window.  
"Where are we headed first?" he asked the captain.  
"Kanto," the captain replied.  
"Awesome," Ash cheered. "We'll get Misty and Brock on our side and all of the other gym leaders too!"  
"Cool," Iris remarked, licking her Casteliacone. "I wonder what it's like there..."  
As Cilan ate his Casteliacone he remembered how he wished he could see the other regions. Well, now he got that chance to see them. Fate had a cruel sense of irony indeed...


	6. 6: The Welcoming Committees

**Reviews:**

Quilava Flare- It is always hard to write an accent, especially if you're not used to hearing that sort of speech. Glad to know I did it well! And don't worry Quil, all the other gym leaders will be in quite the predicaments...

Spiral Breeze- Thanks as always Spiral! Iris is very lucky that Jessie didn't run after her, otherwise grabbing a Casteliacone would NOT have gone over well...

Rilu- Hmm... I definitely see where you're coming from here, but I have my reasons for doing this. Ash, having been on the run from Team Rocket for days, is super stressed and exhausted, so he just snapped and called Cilan a retard. Don't worry though, this will be adressed in this chapter and Ash will realize his mistake. I'll make sure to make Ash's cursing not directed at his friends from now on. Also, this chapter will be a lot slower, after all there isn't much action to be found on a boat. In those first five chapters, they're just so caught up in their plan that there isn't much time for a break. But now that that's over, the pace will slow down. Don't apologize for your critiques, they're honest, constructive, and very helpful. I do hope you enjoy this next chapter and keep reading.

Amulet Misty- Yes, everyone just hates Jessie right now, after all she just forced Ash and his friends out of the Unova region! And yes, I see I went too far with Ash saying that to Cilan. That will be resolved this chapter.

Jessie: They hate me 'cause they ain't me!

No, we just hate you Jessie, for being a total bitch. Anyway, on with the story!

* * *

**Chapter 6- The Welcoming Committees**

The mood that pervaded the minds of those aboard the Royal Unova was incredibly grim. For good reason, Cilan noticed as he gazed out the starboard window. In such a short amount of time, the entire Unova region had fallen apart. Team Rocket had succeeded in taking control of every city and burning down all opposition. Only a small force remained, and from what Cilan had seen, things were looking quite bleak. No one had any desire to start a conversation, not even Iris, who usually couldn't be kept quiet. Cilan sighed and continued to stare, until a knock at the door jarred him from his thoughts.  
"Who is it?" Cilan asked.  
"It's me," Iris answered. "Can I come in?"  
"Sure, it's open."  
"Okay, coming in." Iris entered the room and sat down next to Cilan on his bed. She looked simply depressed. Although she tried not to show it, her emotions flooded through all over her face. "How are you doing?"  
"Fine, I guess," Cilan replied. "What's up?"  
"I just wanted to let you know that even though things are kinda bad right now, we still have each other in all this," Iris said. "Ash too, even though sometimes he doesn't show it."  
"Yeah, I really didn't like it when he called me a retard," Cilan said. "I hate when people call other people that."  
"Is there like some reason or something?" Iris asked curiously. "Usually there's a reason behind if when people don't like someone using the word retarded, or gay, or something like that."  
"Yeah, doctors say my brother is borderline retarded," Cilan explained. "Not Cress of course, no one would call him retarded, but Chili. He's not stupid though, he just doesn't think sometimes. But he did badly on the IQ test, so boom, they call him retarded. It's such a broadly used term now, mostly on people who don't deserve it."  
"Well, why don't you tell Ash how you feel?" Iris suggested.  
"Hmm, I guess I should," Cilan agreed. "That's a good idea, Iris, I'll go do that." He got up and started for the door, then stopped and turned around toward her. "Thanks."  
"No problem, that's what friends are for," Iris smiled. She got up, kissed him on the cheek, and walked out, leaving Cilan feeling both relieved and uneasy at the same time.

About a half hour later, Cilan went to Ash's room only to find it empty. He proceeded to search the ship until finally finding him in the Mess Hall, eating dinner. Cilan wondered why he didn't think of this sooner, for Ash loved a good meal. He himself had cooked for Ash on their journey throughout the Unova region. Ash had also told him of Brock, who accompanied Ash on his adventures in the other regions. Cilan walked up to Ash, who was just finishing a bowl of soup.  
"Hey Cilan," Ash greeted. "Come to get some chow too?"  
"Umm, no actually," Cilan replied. "Can I talk to you about something?"  
"Sure, what about?" Ash asked.  
"About when we were flying to Driftveil..."  
"Mmhmm."  
"Well, you called me a retard, and that was kind of mean," Cilan explained.  
"Oh," Ash said, his upbeat expression fading to one of regret. "Gee, I'm sorry man, it's just that I've been so stressed out lately, y'know? I mean, you probably are too, but I'm exhausted from running from Team Rocket all this while. There's just do much shit going on I can't stand it. We all have huge burdens to carry, and let's face it, it isn't easy. So I'm sorry for snapping on you like that, and let's just move on and focus on our mission."  
"I forgive you man," Cilan answered. "I just wanted to get this out of the way, we have more important things to take care of."  
"We cool?" Ash extended his hand.  
"Yep," Cilan shook his hand.  
"Alright then, I'll catch you later," Ash grinned. "I heard we'll be arriving soon, better get some food while you can!"  
"Thanks, I will." Cilan watched Ash walk away and felt better already. He grabbed a bowl of soup started to eat.

"Good afternoon everyone, this is your captain speaking. We are set to arrive in Vermillion Port in approximately thirty minutes." Cilan heard the static-ridden message over the intercom and thoughts instantly started to race through his head. What was Kanto like? Were the people there like the people from Unova? Or were they completely different, with different cultures and ways? It was like traveling to a foreign country for Cilan, he would have to rely only on Ash's experience in the region as his guide. He decided to go find Ash and Iris and make sure they were ready to leave. He dashed down the hallway toward Iris's cabin. He turned a corner and crashed into Iris, who was running right at him in the opposite direction. They both fell backwards from the impact. Iris sat up and noticed it was Cilan she had just collided with.  
"Oh, hey Cilan!" she giggled. "I was just going to check up on you and make sure you were ready."  
"I was going to do the same," Cilan laughed. There was a long pause.  
"OhmyGodI'msoexcited!" Iris blurted out.  
"OhmyGodsoamI!" Cilan responded in the same manner.  
Ash, who just walked by and noticed this, rolled his eyes. "You two are ridiculous," he shook his head. The two of them froze and slowly turned to look at him. "Remember, we have a job to do here. You two can be all giddy and sightsee some other time, but right now, we have work to do."  
"Right," Cilan and Ash said in unison.  
"You both have your Pokémon?"  
"Yep." They both reached for the single Poke Balls on their belts. Since Cilan had only Pansage with him when he left for Opelucid, that was all he had with him now.  
"Alright. Now let's save Unova!" They hurried to the boat's exit so they were ready to practically lump off as soon as they arrived. The Kanto region gradually came into view from the windows, growing larger and larger as they got closer and closer. At last, the ship made it to Vermillion Port and slid to a halt next to the dock. The door opened, and they saw a tall, blonde-haired man wearing a muscle shirt and cargo pants looking up at them from below. Even though he wore sunglasses, Cilan could still feel him staring right at them. He did not look happy. Cilan turned to Ash and saw a spark of recognition in his eyes but no smile on his face. Something told Cilan that this wouldn't be easy.

Ash was the first to break the spell of paralysis that seemed to keep them all in place. He jumped down from the boat and landed with a thump on the dock.  
"Surge," he nodded.  
"That's Lieutenant Surge to you, Ash!" Lt. Surge snapped.  
"Yeah, that's what I said, Surge," Ash persisted.  
"How dare you show insubordination, private!" Lt. Surge barked. "Now drop down and give me twenty! And tell your two friends up there to get their asses down here!"  
"I'm not in your army, Surge, I'm not doing push-ups," Ash retorted. "C'mon, guys, it's ok, he won't hurt you." Cilan, reassured by Ash, dropped down from the ship and landed next to Ash, with Iris soon coming down next to him. "Surge, this is Cilan and Iris, leaders of Striaton and Opelucid City gyms respectively. Cilan, Iris, this is Lieutenant Surge, as he likes to be called."  
"It's nice to meet you, sir," Cilan greeted, reaching out his hand.  
"See Ash? This one knows how to respect authority!" Lt. Surge laughed, returning the handshake and saluting. Cilan felt a tug on his hand, and he whirled around to see Iris trembling with fear.  
"You're okay, he won't hurt you," Cilan whispered to her. He held her hand gently and gave her a reaffirming squeeze, calming her down a bit.  
"So, let's get down to business, shall we?" Lt. Surge said. "What brings you all to Kanto?"  
"We've been hit by a total shitstorm in Unova," Ash summed up bluntly, eliciting a slight grin from Lt. Surge. "Team Rocket, led by Jessie, has taken control of the entire region, using strange weapons that use a Pokemon's power to fuel the blasts. They have the firepower to burn down an entire city, Iris's home city of Opelucid to be exact. We have a small force holding them off that's probably dwindling as we speak. So we came here to gather reinforcements."  
"Interesting," Lt. Surge remarked, scratching the stubble on his chin. "Would their weapons happen to look like this?"

To Cilan's astonishment, Lt. Surge pulled out from behind his back a gun almost identical to the ones that the Team Rocket grunts carried. The only difference was that where there was a red or brown or purple light on the grunts', Lt. Surge's had a light that glowed a bright yellow.  
"What the hell?" Ash gasped. "Where the hell did you get that?"  
"Stole it from a grunt," Lt. Surge explained. "We knew they were coming since they had just invaded Saffron. A wave of them came, and we planned to subdue them without lethal force. Then they killed one of our citizens. I just couldn't control myself then. I must've killed at least thirty of them myself, our entire force getting about a hundred in all."  
"You killed that many?" Iris gasped, wide eyed.  
"I've been through worse in war," Lt. Surge said. "So we salvaged their weapons, to prepare for when they come back." He gestured to the yellow light. "I put in my own Pokémon, which is why this light is yellow."  
"You figured out how to work this thing?" Cilan asked inquisitively.  
"Yep, here let me show you." Lt. Surge reached into the ammo compartment and retrieved a Poke Ball. He pressed the release button, and his Raichu appeared in front of him. It looked winded and was panting heavily, but it gave its trainer a look as if to say, 'Don't sweat it, I'm fine'.  
"Surge, that thing doesn't look to good," Ash observed concernedly.  
"It's been through worse," Lt. Surge assured him. "Yeah, I noticed that the guns hurt the Pokémon being used, which is why only Team Rocket can use them without feeling any guilt."  
"No offense, but you seem to be doing the same thing," Ash pointed out.  
"It's different," Lt. Surge argued. "I rotate Pokémon frequently so no single Pokémon has to endure it to the point of suffering. War is bad enough without torture. Once I was held prisoner and whipped by a Tangela. Not a pleasant memory, but I can still almost feel it." He shuddered violently, then regained his composure. "I may be hardened from war, but I'm not heartless."  
A man with a gun strapped to his back ran up to them. "Sir! We've spotted them, sir! They'll be here any minute!"  
"Shit, get the men in their positions," Lt. Surge ordered. He turned to Cilan and Iris. "Well kids, I see they've sent you a welcoming committee. I hope you're ready to fight, because this...is war..."


	7. 7: Staring Death in the Face

**Oh my God, it's been forever since I last updated this story! (Or any of my fics, for that matter...) Writer's block and schoolwork are a combination that can cripple any writer. But finally, I finished this chapter, and it's a long one! Enjoy!**

**Reviews:**

Spiral Breeze- Thanks so much Spiral! And yeah, the thing about Chili was just something to patch up the hole from the other chapter. But you'd believe it, wouldn't you? He really does act brash and a bit reckless, so it's not completely out of the question.

Amulet Misty- Thanks! Lt. Surge is definitely one of my favorite gym leaders as well. (Really, I like all of the Electric leaders except for Watson.)

Quilava Flare- Thanks Quil! I wanted to write Surge a bit differently, because while a war usually hardens most people, Surge is already war-hardened, so I thought I'd give him a bit of a softer side, especially for Cilan and Iris because they're so... innocent I guess. It's unnatural for him though, so he'll be a bit conflicted between them.

**Alright, now, let's get back to the story! (It's about time!)**

* * *

**Chapter 7- Staring Death in the Face**

"Soldiers, to your positions! Move it!"  
Cilan watched the soldiers around him quickly scramble to their strategic points, as organized as clockwork. Lt. Surge appeared perfectly in his element, calm in the face of imminent conflict. He stood tall and barked out orders, using odd terms that made absolutely no sense to Cilan.  
"Squad Bravo, make sure to watch your six from over there! Echo, keep your eyes peeled for tangos! Charlie, get ready to come around for the flank!"  
"What the hell is he talking about?" Ash whispered to Cilan.  
"You think I know?" Cilan whispered back. "I'm just as confused as you."  
"As for you three," Surge turned to Ash, Cilan, and Iris, "since your Pokémon aren't conditioned to be used inside these guns, you won't be able to do much damage against them if you fight them head-on. However, you're high-priority targets, so you'll still be very valuable to us."  
"W-wait!" Iris interrupted. "What do you mean, 'high-priority targets'?"  
"As soon as they see your faces, especially Ash's, they'll charge out in a desperate attempt to kill you because of the influence you have. Which is why I'm sending you out as bait. You'll run out there, attract their attention, and run like hell back, got it?"  
"I'm not sure I'm too comfortable with being used as bait," Cilan protested.  
"This is my army, therefore you obey my command," Surge dismissed harshly. "This is an order you must follow." Then, in a softer tone, he added, "You won't be in much danger, as long as you can run fast and my soldiers do their job out there, you'll be fine."  
"As long as you're sure I won't get my ass shot out there, I'll do it," Ash nodded.  
"You'll do it because I told you so," Surge chuckled. "Get ready to run, because on my word, you better get out there." It was no more than a minute later when a scout touting a small rifle sprinted towards them.  
"Sir! Team Rocket has reached the front lines!"  
"There's your cue, kids," Surge instructed. "Do your job and do it right. Go!" The three trainers acknowledged him and took off after the scout, who was returning to his post at the front lines.

"I really hope Lt. Surge is sure we'll be safe," Cilan said to his friends as they dashed after the scout, not nearly keeping up with his blinding speed.  
"You actually believed him?" Ash asked, shaking his head as he ran–an interesting sight indeed.  
"What do you mean, Ash?" Iris panted, her short legs not made to run fast.  
"I mean, do you really believe that our Pokémon can't do any damage?" Ash restated. "You two are Gym Leaders, and I'm the Unova Champion! What Team Rocket Grunts can stand up to us?"  
"I don't know, Ash, that's pretty risky, considering Lt. Surge seems to really know what he's talking about," Cilan said doubtfully.  
"C'mon, let's go get 'em!" Ash cheered, and with that he sped up ahead of them.  
"Should we go with him?" Iris sighed.  
"I think we better, before he gets himself killed," Cilan groaned. The two chased after him, until they found him in a dead stop at the border of the city.  
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash called. His Pikachu leaped off his shoulder, landed on all fours in front of him, and let loose a fierce bolt of lightning. Cilan saw Ash's confident grin fade quickly. He and Iris ran up to Ash and saw a brigade of soldiers, looking completely unfazed by Pikachu's attack. "Oh, shit..."  
"Run!" Cilan yelled. He and Iris tugged on Ash's arms to urge him into a sprint as the Rocket Grunts readied their guns. Pikachu scurrying behind them, the three trainers bolted away as fast as they could, in fear of the deathtrap that was chasing them.  
"Ash, you're such a kid!" Iris shouted. "We should've just listened to Surge!"  
"A little too late for that, isn't it?" Ash retorted.  
"Both of you, let's just focus on not dying, shall we?" Cilan interrupted, just barely managing to sidestep a projectile that landed right next to him. He noticed that it was a large, tightly-packed sphere of dirt that burst apart when it hit the ground. "_Of course, they're using Ground types because this is town is home to an Electric gym_," Cilan realized. "_That's probably why Pikachu couldn't do any damage._" He noticed a building to their right where he knew a platoon of soldiers was lying in wait. "Quick, let's get behind here!" he suggested. Ash and Iris ducked behind the building, but before Cilan could follow, he felt the force of an explosion knock him off his feet. He scrambled back up, only to see the oncoming wave of soldiers now dangerously close. A hundred guns pointed right at him, Cilan couldn't help but feel very afraid. Clutching the Poké Ball on his belt in his right hand tightly, he prepared himself for an encounter he wouldn't likely survive.

In another city north of Vermillion, where Cilan awaited his impending doom, a trainer duo prepared for a Team Rocket invasion. Backed by a less-than-adequate army, the two trainers in Cerulean City had their backs against the wall. They had very few of Team Rocket's weapons, which they didn't even use because of the risk of hurting their Pokémon. Who were these trainers? None other than the orange-haired gym leader of Cerulean City herself and her boyfriend from the Orange Islands.  
"Alright everyone," Misty announced to all the citizens of the city. Her tone wasn't exactly uplifting, for after hearing that Team Rocket had occupied Saffron City, the largest in the Kanto region and led by the powerful Sabrina, no one had much optimism that they could stand up to Team Rocket's massive army. "We don't know when Team Rocket is going to strike here. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day. We have to be prepared for whenever they do, so maybe, just maybe, we can pull through here until help arrives."  
"I don't know how many other cities Team Rocket has invaded," Tracey added. "Maybe they haven't taken any yet. Maybe we're the last ones left. But whatever the case, let's make sure no Team Rocket can get inside our precious Cerulean City!" The crowd of citizens roared in approval. Misty smiled to herself; she always loved how Tracey's upbeat attitude could find a silver lining in any bleak situation. It was the Pokémon Watcher's near-perpetual optimism that drew Misty to him, and whenever they were together, Misty could feel the good spirits herself.  
"C'mon everyone!" Misty continued. "Let's get ready to hold this city!" The citizens returned to their houses to hide, ready to attack as soon as the Rocket Grunts came. It wasn't the best plan, but it was the best that Misty's non-militaristic mind could concoct.  
"You ready for this?" Tracey asked, his Marill by his side.  
"As ready as I'll ever be," Misty replied with conviction. She released her Starmie from its Poké Ball, the odd Water and Psychic type appearing next to her.  
"That's my girl," Tracey chuckled, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Now let's go get 'em." They turned toward the south side of the city, awaiting the arrival of Team Rocket.

Cilan didn't want to accept his fate just yet. He had one last resort. "_If they're using Ground types, then maybe Pansage can help me ward them off!_" he thought. "Go Pansage, and use Razor Leaf!" Pansage emerged from its Poké Ball and sent a flurry razor-sharp leaves at the Rocket Grunts. The leaves cut into their weapons and broke them apart. Cilan hoped that now they'd back off, now that their guns were rendered unusable. Instead, to his great dismay, those soldiers merely stepped back, and in their place appeared a new line of Grunts. "There _may be no end to them..._" Cilan realized grimly.  
"Cilan!" Iris cried from behind the building. Cilan saw a flare of orange and blue energy come from the building and burn into the Grunts; Iris had her Axew use Dragon Rage. A few of them fell, but the rest continued their advance toward Cilan.  
"Oh God, they just keep coming!" Cilan whimpered. He spider-crawled in retreat, only to back straight into a wall. "Oh no... I'm cornered!" The Rocket Grunts surrounded him now, standing over him in triumph.  
"Well well, what have we here?" One of the Grunts jeered.  
"Looks like Unova's lost all their best leaders, if they sent this one to get help," another Grunt mocked.  
"Look at him," the first one laughed. "He's scared shitless!" He pressed his gun into Cilan's neck. "Don't worry, I'll make this nice and easy..." Cilan was indeed terrified out of his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to watch the Grunts execute him. He heard an ear-popping bang, and his eyes flew open on instinct. He saw neither of the two Grunts that were laughing at him before. He did see the rest of them, but they were running away from him. Puzzled, Cilan glanced down at Pansage, and saw next to him the two Grunts, both lying on the ground, with bullet holes going clean through their heads, stone cold and dead. Cilan looked around for the person who had so graciously saved him, and found Lt. Surge lying prone on the roof of his gym, a large sniper rifle in his hands. Cilan bowed his head in thanks, but to his surprise Surge shook his head in response. Instead, he gave Cilan a salute with a stiff wave of his hand to his forehead.  
"Must be a military thing," Cilan thought. He mimicked it awkwardly, evoking a laugh from Surge. Surge jerked his head toward the direction of the battle, telling him to get back out there. Cilan nodded, running to where Ash and Iris were hiding, feeling very lucky to be alive.

"Yaaaaah!"  
An elderly woman and her Psyduck jumped out from inside her Cerulean City home and whacked a Rocket Grunt in the face with her cane. The Grunt staggered backwards, his nose gushing blood. Another Grunt came from behind her though, and he showed no hesitation when he fired his weapon right into her chest. An electric pulse struck her, and she was thrown to the floor by the force. She convulsed a bit from the electricity, then her body went limp. All over the city, residents of Cerulean City were falling in their desperate struggle against the invaders. Misty had begun to notice this quite early, and she was getting worried because of it.  
"Tracey, I don't think we can hold on much longer!" Misty cried as her Starmie blasted away a few Grunts with Hydro Pump.  
"Don't give up hope!" Tracey encouraged. "The moment we stop believing is the moment we're done for!" His Marill sent a forceful Bubblebeam at the oncoming attackers, knocking them away. He had to admit though, that things weren't going well. The Grunts' Electric-type projectiles were simply inflicting too much damage on the locals' Water-type Pokémon.  
"I know, but look at how many lives we've lost already," Misty persisted. "We may just have to retreat. It's us they're probably after, we should spare the rest of the town."  
"Hmm, I guess you're right," Tracey agreed. "We'll have to head west. You hold them off for a bit while I go check to see if the coast is clear." Tracey and Marill darted off while Misty's Starmie continued to launch Hydro Pumps at the persistent Rocket Grunts. Tracey didn't get very far before he saw a familiar figure in the distance, sprinting hard and approaching fast.  
"Brock?"

Cilan couldn't possibly be any more on edge. During his run to where Ash and Iris were hiding, he purposely sidestepped, stuttered, and stopped short nearly 100 times to avoid anything that could possibly kill him, even if there wasn't anything actually there. Cilan even noticed how paranoid he was acting about halfway there, but he really didn't care. "_As long as I make it there alive, I don't care how stupid I look,_" he thought. At last he reached their hiding place, panting hard and heart pounding. (Self-induced paranoia isn't exactly the most helpful thing to have, unless you're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse of course. Then Cilan would probably have it easy.) He crept inside slowly and deliberately, not wanting to startle Ash and Iris. Once he was close enough, he made his presence known.  
"Hey guys," he said quietly. No sooner did he finish his sentence than did Iris whirl around and run at him. She embraced him endearingly, bursting into tears on his shoulder.  
"Oh, Cilan, I thought for sure you were dead," Iris sobbed. "There were so many of them... How did you survive?"  
"Lt. Surge saved me," Cilan replied. "He killed two of them, and the rest just ran."  
"But I thought Surge's Electric types can't hurt them," Ash said inquisitively.  
"He wasn't using one of Team Rocket's weapons," Cilan explained. "He had an actual sniper rifle. The bullet went right through their heads."  
"Then it's correct that Pikachu couldn't hurt them because they're Ground-types," Ash confirmed. "Since now we know that anything else can."  
"But this is a city of Electric-types," Iris pointed out. "They can't hurt Team Rocket at all, right?"  
"We'll have to help them, then!" Ash decided.  
"Alright, let's go!" Iris agreed. Without any further hesitation, Ash ran out the door. Iris started after him, but remembered Cilan was still in the building. She glanced back at him, concerned.  
"You gonna be alright?" Iris asked.  
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Cilan answered. "Besides, I couldn't possibly go out there again."  
"Yeah, I guess you're right there. Stay safe, okay?" Iris stood for a few seconds more, then turned and ran to catch up with Ash. Cilan breathed out a heavy sigh, still feeling quite traumatized and very alone.

"Tracey?"  
"Brock!" Tracey exclaimed. "God, am I glad to see you!" Tracey took a closer look at the Pewter Gym Leader and saw that he looked absolutely ragged. His shirt and pants were torn in several places, his arms were covered in red welts. His face had large bruises on it too, but what really stood out was the long red gash the stretched across most of his forehead, still caked with dried blood.  
"Tracey, what are you doing here?" Brock panted, his voice a bit weak and hoarse. "Team Rocket'll be here any minute!"  
"They're chasing after you, too? They just hit Cerulean City, we're being overrun by them! I was looking to see if we could escape this way, but I guess that's not an option."  
"Well, maybe you don't have to escape."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Tell me, what type of Pokémon are bring used against you?"  
"Electric, they're just wiping out our Water-types."  
"Then maybe Steelix and I can hold them back," Brock suggested.  
"But Brock, you really don't look too good," Tracey observed. "Are you sure you want to-"  
"Do you have another way to get us out of this?"  
"Umm... No..."  
"Then it's settled. We're making a stand in Cerulean City." Brock pushed past Tracey toward Cerulean. Tracey noticed a limp in Brock's step, and heard a few audible curses from him as he struggled to move faster.  
"There really is no stopping him..." Tracey muttered. "I've got to help him before he gets himself killed, or worse, pushes himself to death." Tracey darted after Brock, catching up to him easily and helping him along the road. They made their way back into the city, where they found Misty and Starmie backed against the wall of her gym, Rocket Grunts closing in. Starmie unleashed a Hydro Pump that knocked a few back, but the rest were shooting jolting balls of lightning at Misty. Misty barely managed to evade them, but she was running out of room, fast.  
"Steelix, come on out and use Iron Tail!" Brock shouted, hurling his Poké Ball toward Misty. Steelix emerged and swung its heavy metal tail right into the line of Rocket Grunts, toppling them over with an enormous amount of force.  
"Brock!" Misty cheered. "Thank God you're here!" Starmie, spirits lifted by the reinforcements (If a starfish thing can have boosted spirits, that is), used Psychic on Steelix's tail to strengthen its force. Steelix whipped its massive tail around at twice the speed this time, bludgeoning about 8 Rocket Grunts to instant death from the force.  
"That thing's a Ground-type, we can't hurt it!" wailed a Grunt.  
"We better beat it!" another Grunt shouted. They all tore off in fear of their lives, leaving Misty, Tracey, and Brock to realize their triumph.  
"We...we did it..." Misty mumbled. "We couldn't have done it without you, Brock."  
"It was nothing," Brock said modestly, though the scrapes and scars on his body betrayed this.  
"We should survey the city," Tracey suggested. "Tally the survivors, check morale, and make sure we have supplies."  
"We'll have to do it quickly then," Brock nodded. "The next wave could be here any minute.  
"Wait, next wave?" Misty blurted out. "There's more of them?!"  
"Umm, yeah," Brock said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "They chased me here from Pewter City. They were using Water types, so we had no chance."  
"Well, we'll be fighting water with water then," Tracey concluded. "Could be worse."  
"Still, it won't be easy," Misty reminded them. "We'll have to give it everything we've got, or else..."  
"Let's not think about that," Brock admonished. "C'mon, we're running out of time before they get here. Let's do what we gotta do."  
"Right," Tracey agreed. He watched Brock limp to the Pokémon Center, for he was seeking some medical help. Misty stayed a bit longer, moving towards him and hugging him tightly. "Don't worry, we can do this," Tracey assured her. She nodded and walked off, checking on the citizens. Tracey sighed and went to check for supplies. Despite knowing there was no way they had enough of anything right now, he still felt strangely confident. "We'll be alright...we have to be."


End file.
